This invention relates to dilatation catheters suitable for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).
During a PTCA procedure, it is often necessary to exchange one dilation catheter for another. In doing so, exchange wires with lengths of up to 300 cm have been used, typically requiring the cooperation of two operators to manipulate.
To overcome certain difficulties associated with using long exchange wires, rapid exchange catheters have been developed. A rapid exchange catheter generally has a short guidewire-receiving sleeve or inner lumen extending through the distal segment of the catheter. This structure allows for the rapid exchange of the catheter.